In my 30 years of experience as a divorce lawyer I've seen it all. Women who come into my office in a rage, clutching a private detectives report on their husband's affair, and those who arrive in tears claiming their husband loves his job more than her. And .... ...
Keep readingVanessa Lloyd Platt is a celebrity divorce lawyer - read that both ways; she advises on celebrity divorce and also perches on breakfast-telly sofas discussing the dissolution of marriage. Here however she focuses on the rights of co-habitees and their children. ...
Keep readingAs we are approaching the Jewish New Year, families will of course spend more time together. Regrettably, all is not rosy in the relationship garden. Whilst recession has played a part, there is a notable theme running through divorce cases that practitioners have seen. ...
Keep reading"This has been a very long marriage," she tells HELLO. "What the courts do now is also take into consideration any period of cohabitation, so the woods marriage would be regarded as a 30 year relationship. "The starting point, therefore would be a 50-50 division of assets across the board... ...
Keep readingThe tabloids claim it will be one of the biggest divorce battles of the decade. But Jo and Ronnie Wood showed no sign of hostilities as they enjoyed their new single status last week. While Jo partied with famous friends, her estranged Rolling Stone husband was all smiles as he visited his lawyer's office in London. ...
Keep readingIn recent years years I have noted an upward trend in marriages breaking down through adultery. It is now the reason as many as three in five marriages end in tears. Men are twice as likely to be cited, but that is not because they are more likely to cheat, its just that women are better at catching them out! ...
Keep readingGadget mad couples are drawing up pre-nuptial deals to decide who gets the iPod if they split. The special "e-nup" arrangements have been created by lawyers. Plasma TV's, games consoles, MP3s and laptops are all being included... ...
Keep readingLove at first sight definitely exists, though it doesn't necessarily last forever. I'm handling divorces for people in their 60s and 70s and so many of them tell me they fell in love at first sight. ...
Keep readingIt could be the perfect gift for the couple who have marriage problems. A firm of family and divorce lawyers is offering gift vouchers to give to those whose marriage is in trouble. ...
Keep readingFamily solicitors reported a surge in divorce enquiries before Christmas and have predicted that the number of divorces will rocket in 2020, with January likely to be the busiest month. The rush comes as ... ...
Keep readingPre-nuptial wedding agreements are set to become "binding and enforceable" in England, experts predicted yesterday, after a woman described as a "career divorcee" dropped her claim for a share of her husbands 45 million fortune. Susan Crossley, thought to be worth ... ...
Keep readingQuestion: What rights do I have to my husband's pension if we divorce? I've spent the past 18 years bringing up our children and have only worked part-time for odd periods. Answer: Given that you had a long marriage and gave up work to care to care for your children, if you get divorced the court will compensate you pension-wise. For example ......
Keep readingQuestion: My partner and I live together but are about to split up. How does our legal and financial situation differ from that of a couple who are actually married? Answer: The legal status of cohabitees is governed by a number of different laws and statutes, but as a cohabitee you don't have a right to receive maintenance, inheritance rights o...
Keep readingSome reports claim that an amicable settlement could be imminent between Madonna and Guy. But the fact that they have hired two Britain's most formidable divorce lawyers would suggest a battle is more likely. In Madonna's corner... ...
Keep readingIn the week that another twist emerges in the Mills versus McCartney divorce saga the world’s first downloadable pre-nup, aka the E-Nup, is made available to cohabiting or married couples who want to protect their digital assts in the event of a break-up. The UK consumer electronics market is now worth 11 billion and the average home has sixteen ...
Keep readingLawyers see a rise in inquiries from warring married partners in January.John Crace talks to the founder of one law firm now offering divorce vouchers. After two weeks' over-exposure to one another during the Christmas break, the first call many couples make is to their lawyer. Vanessa Lloyd Platt, founder of Lloyd Platt & Co, one of the UK...
Keep readingApart, perhaps, from death, is there anything more painful than divorce? Years before a marriage arrives at the decree absolute stage, both partners started out on a path that should, ideally, have led to a long life of shared experiences, children, and mutual support - all underpinned by loyalty and love. Indeed, both people felt so strongl...
Keep readingThe chef’s battle over evidence used by his wife in their break-up could change the way such cases are held White, 48, knew nothing of the letter until it was produced in court. Until last week, when she read about it in the newspapers, Letty had no idea that the letter had not simply been lost in the post, nor that it had been read by strangers. ...
Keep readingFamily solicitors reported a surge in divorce enquiries before Christmas and have predicted that the number of divorces will rocket in 2010, with January likely to be the busiest month. The rush comes as London firm Lloyd Platt & Co markets a new ‘divorce voucher’ scheme for separating couples. Mark Keenan, managing director of Divorce On...
Keep readingLondon firm Lloyd Platt & Company is offering divorce gift vouchers to entice clients. According to the firm, Lloyd Platt & Company will issue gift vouchers for half an hour and an hour of legal advice with a specialist family and divorce lawyer, through its website or by post after claiming to have been “inundated” by requests from clie...
Keep readingA London law firm is offering divorce vouchers, which are reportedly proving a popular gift in the lead-up to Christmas. The firm, Lloyd Platt & Co, is the first in Britain to offer vouchers, which cost 125 ($228) for 30 minutes legal advice or 250 for an hour, theDaily Mailreports. The company has sold more than 50 vouchers since the...
Keep readingA British law firm is offering an unusual present for unhappily married couples this Christmas - divorce gift vouchers. Lloyd Platt & Company in London said it had received hundreds of enquiries since putting the vouchers on sale last month. Offering couples half-hour or hour-long advice session with an expert family and divorce lawyer, t...
Keep readingStuck for Christmas gift ideas? Is your marriage or a friend's going through a rocky patch? How about a divorce voucher? In an unusual take on the season of giving, a London law firm is offering Christmas gift vouchers for divorce advice. The firm, Lloyd Platt & Company, which normally charges $530 an hour, said it had been swamped with i...
Keep readingIt's a gift that won’t exactly spread festive cheer when taken from under the family tree. But that hasn’t stopped the lawyers behind divorce gift vouchers which entitle the recipient to free legal advice. They have been put on sale by Vanessa Lloyd Platt, a leading family and divorce lawyer who has represented celebrities including Les Den...
Keep reading(Reuters) - Stuck for Christmas gift ideas? Is your marriage or a friend's going through a rocky patch? How about a divorce voucher? In an unusual take on the season of giving, a London law firm is offering Christmas gift vouchers for divorce advice. The firm, Lloyd Platt & Company, which normally charges 325 pounds an hour, said it had b...
Keep readingDebating whether to give a holiday gift to your cheating spouse? Try a divorce voucher-they’re all the rage in London. The divorce lawyer, Vanessa Lloyd Platt is offering discounted vouchers for divorce advice, just in time for the merriest of all seasons, and so far, they’re selling quite well. “They seem to appeal to an enormously widespread spec...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer Watching all those wretched people suffering from the indignities of the delays caused by striking British Airways staff, my heart sank when I heard the announcement from BA intended to soften the horror. “Any losses suffered by any of the passengers should be claimed from their travel insurers”! For t...
Keep readingALondonfamily and divorcelawyer has become the first in the country to sell divorce gift vouchers as Christmas presents. Vanessa Lloyd Platt, a senior partner at Lloyd Platt & Company who charges 325 an hour, claims to have been inundated with enquiries. The vouchers offer couples half-hour or hour-long sessions with a lawyer. They...
Keep readingNeed a gift idea for that couple next door that never seems to stop arguing and fighting? A London, England law firm has come up with a gift idea for unhappy couples - divorce vouchers. With the United Kingdom having one of the highest divorce rates in the world, it was only a matter of time before lawyers started looking at ways to lure in unha...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer As a divorce lawyer I should be rubbing my hands with glee at the announcement that millions of people will have their holidays cancelled because the inevitable result will be that marriages will yet again be torn apart. However, I am not. Like many others, I feel a sense of outrage at the decision by...
Keep readingALondon divorce lawyer has become the first in the country to sell divorce gift vouchers as Christmas presents. Vanessa Lloyd Platt, a senior partner at Lloyd Platt & Company who charges 325 an hour, claims to have been inundated with enquiries. The vouchers offer couples half-hour or hour-long sessions with a lawyer. They cost from ...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer Article for ‘My Magazine’ In order for you to make correct decisions when going through a divorce, your emotional state is crucial. It is therefore imperative that you understand in relationship breakdown that you will experience a whole raft of emotions from distress, anger, a desire for revenge, to a...
Keep readingEngland has become the "divorce capital of Europe", according to a senior family and divorce lawyer. The system is paternalistic and unprincipled, says Lady Deech, chair of the Bar Standards Board. Huge assets can be divided equally after only a few years of marriage, sending the wrong message, she says. A leading defence lawyer says judge...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer Like others within the legal profession I was very sad to have read the tragic story of Catherine Bailey, a partner at a leading City law firm who committed suicide this week. Having practiced as a divorce lawyer for 30 years I have seen many changes within the legal profession, with increasing pressure p...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer This week the Conservatives announced that they would insist in the future upon a cooling off period for couples thinking about divorce. I am of the view that most couples will not welcome a three month delay but see it as one other issue in a long line of frustrations facing them in their daily lives. ...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer Last week in a ground breaking case in the Court of Appeal three Judges decided that a pre-nuptial contract entered into by a wealthy heiress before the marriage in Germany should be recognised as binding in divorce proceedings in England. In future the Courts will give “due weight” to such pre-nuptial a...
Keep readingPre-nuptial agreements were given significant recognition in English law for the first time yesterday after a wealthy German heiress won a landmark legal battle with her former husband. Three Appeal Court judges ruled that the assets ofKatrin Radmacher- a paper industry heiress said to be worth 100 million - should be protected from her Frenc...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt Divorce Lawyer As a divorce lawyer, I have witnessed many patterns of behaviour that lead to an increase in divorce or relationship breakdown. A new phenomenon is developing which I refer to as Redundancy Anxiety Syndrome and has been confirmed by many psychologists and therapists over the last 12 months as we have entere...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer As a divorce lawyer with twenty eight years experience I was very interested to read of Tessa Jowell’s current predicament. At present there appears to be a media frenzy criticising her for her purported lack of knowledge of her husband’s financial affairs but this could well be true. At least eighty t...
Keep readingMen try to avoid making big settlements by breaking up after redundancy Rich men are rushing to get divorced as the worsening economic situation forces them to reassess their married lives, leading divorce lawyers and marriage therapists say. Unprecedented numbers of men who have either been made redundant, or fear their jobs may go, are sudd...
Keep readingLong Before A-Rod, They Fought Over Adoption, Kabbalah and Not Being There for Each Other. Now That They're Divorcing, Their Battle Will Be Over Money-and the Kids Three days after announcing her marriage to Guy Ritchie was over,Madonnareturned to her usual routine. Sporting a baseball cap emblazoned with the word "Faith," the pop star joined he...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt, Divorce Lawyer. "Having been in the legal professional for over 30 years there has been a massive change of attitude between the profession dominated by the old boy's network to seeing many women go through the glass ceiling. I believe that women are doing wery well indeed and that it is only within certain limited profe...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer The story of Ronnie Wood trading in his beautiful wife Jo for a younger model who looks almost identical is an all too familiar one, particularly for a divorce lawyer like me. Whilst of course wealthy powerful men have always been a magnet for young women there has been a marked societal change over th...
Keep readingPre-nuptial wedding agreements are set to become "binding and enforceable" in England after a woman described as a "career divorcee" dropped her claim for a share of her husband's 45 million fortune, experts have predicted. Susan Crossley, thought to be worth 18 million after three previous divorces to wealthy men, abandoned her claim after a ...
Keep readingHe's always visiting his "mother". She's looking up plastic surgeons. A top divorce lawyer opens her files ... This week, a survey revealed that women who feel they're heading for divorce work harder in order to earn more and enhance their career prospects in preparation for a single life of financial independence. As a divorce lawyer, it set...
Keep readingRoman Abramovichmay pay for his billion-pound divorce with a massive war chest built up by selling off shares. The Chelsea owner today faces paying out at least [pounds sterling]1.5 billion of his [pounds sterling]11 billion fortune after divorcing Irina, his wife of 15 years and the mother of his five children. The announcement of the divor...
Keep readingA FEMALE barrister friend, engaged in a lusty affair with a senior judge, recently confided: 'The thing is, ermine just does something for me.' She is not alone. In the past ten days, it has emerged that Britain's two top lawyers have been playing away from home. Sir Ken Macdonald, QC, the married Director of Public Prosecutions head of t...
Keep readingMichael Drake, a matrimonial lawyer in London, recently had three clients, all men, come in to discuss their financial situations before getting married. Based on those conversations, two decided not to go through with their weddings. Vanessa Lloyd Platt, a lawyer and author on divorce law, says women tell her that they feel like they are penali...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer It comes as no surprise to me, as a divorce lawyer, to learn that Tuesday of this week was regarded as Black Tuesday for marriages and the end of the road for many dwindling relationships. For as long as I've been handling divorces, some twenty nine years, it has always been the same - the first work...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer When Goldman Sachs announced that their staff would receive multi million pound bonuses this Christmas, people countrywide felt overwhelmed with pangs of envy and anger. Why were they not in that position? Why is it that only the rarefied few can live life without financial worry, how happy they must b...
Keep readingAs the McCartney divorce gets dirtier by the day, Femail calls in a team of experts to sort them out. YESTERDAY the Mail revealed thatHeather Mills has hired the lawyer who wonPrincess Diana her [pounds sterling]17million divorce deal. Meanwhile, SirPaul McCartneyhas hired the woman who representedPrince Charles. The warring pair - who c...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer This week Anna Pasternak raised the issue of the conflict between Alpha Woman and Gamma Man. I am very pleased that she did so because what she has done is to highlight a problem that divorce lawyers countrywide are seeing every day with the collapse of relationships on an epidemic scale. Whilst I do ...
Keep readingSir Paul McCartney could have escaped with paying his wife, Heather, just 1 million for each of their four years of marriage had he joined a growing trend for pre-nuptial agreements, divorce lawyers claimed yesterday. An increasing number of wealthy Britons are taking their advice, putting bank balances before romance and insisting on agreement...
Keep readingThirty years ago educated women were at the forefront of feminist demands for liberal divorce laws. Now, however, new research from America has found their attitudes have been transformed and that the situation is likely to be echoed in Britain. According to the researchers, women with university degrees are the social group most likely to belie...
Keep readingBy Vanessa Lloyd Platt - Divorce Lawyer As a matrimonial practitioner with some twenty eight years experience under my belt, I read with interest the article printed by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. I have throughout my career been a champion for both men and women, where injustices in the family system call for a voice. Over the years, I have su...
Keep readingBy JULIE MOULTHARRIET ARKELLand MIKE DARVILLSOCCER star Ray Parlour was fleeced of nearly 2million by his ex-wife yesterday.Karen Parlour, 33, won a historic divorce settlement giving her a 37.5 per cent share of the Arsenal ace’s FUTUREearnings.Last night she was “over the moon” at the Appeal Court verdict.But the settlementwill be a hamm...
Keep readingIt used to be the aristocracy who relied on the nanny to see them through a divorce. When the Spencers - parents of the late Diana, Princess of Wales - divorced more than 30 years ago, the nanny was the key witness, according to Jean Keir, family law partner at Kingsley Napley. “The nanny, as well as the maternal grandmother, gave evidence for Earl...
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